Mrs. K. Drake—Breeding of the Yellow-winged Sugar-birds 219


THE BREEDING OF THE YELLOW-WINGED

SUGAR-BIRDS


(Cosreba cyanea)


By Mrs. K. Drake


The cock Sugar-bird came to me two or three years ago, the hen

only last summer.


This season I thought I would try my hand at breeding them, so

I gave them an aviary to themselves. They very quickly paired and

made a hasty, but at the same time exceedingly neat, nest of the

materials I provided, viz. fine hay, moss, wool, and hair, in as hollow

open box inside their very small shelter, which measured about 2 ft. 6 in,

by 2 ft. 6 in. by 14 in. deep, raised high above the ground. The flight

is about 10 by 10 by 6 feet wide.


Two white, or rather bluish-white, eggs, with dark red splashes

(rather resembling a Nonpareil Bunting’s egg) were laid in May and

the young birds reared for only four or five days. They quickly went

to nest again, and two more eggs were laid by the 6th June, the first

having been laid on the fourth evening ; and they hatched respectively

on the 16th and 18th June. The cock bird seemed to take no duties

upon himself, and became excited after four or five days ; so I made

up my mind this time to remove him, and I soon discovered the hen

was perfectly fit and able to take on the job of rearing herself.


The young left the nest on the 29th June and 1st July and flew

well, and in a few days they appeared to be receiving instructions from

their parents on the art of fly-catching.


They were fed chiefly on tiny flies caught in the flight. I also gave

a few mealworms, insectivorous food, milk-sop—yes, and orange !

Grapes they were very keen on, and also banana. The young soon

helped themselves to grapes and orange, and later banana ; flies, too,

I am sure they caught at the end of a week.


The young birds are a dull greyish-green colour and pale underneath;

the beaks are smaller than those of the adults, but quite in comparison

with their size, also they are not curved. They are now a month old

and fine little chaps, and the mother still gives them a few mealworms

and seems very fond of them.



